Designed by architect practice McAdam Design, the Ards Blair Mayne Wellbeing and Leisure Complex is impressive in its structure, layout and volume of activities!

The £30m leisure centre is packed to the brim with high quality sport and leisure facilities for people of all ages and it promotes the health and wellbeing of residents, and visitors. All features were shaped by consultation with user groups to identify local demand and complement the facilities available at Bangor Aurora Aquatic and Leisure Complex, Londonderry Park and across the wider borough. Ustigate Waterplay designed and installed an interactive splash pool!

The new splash pool consists of products that are known to build water confidence for children between the ages of 0 – 7 years, whilst providing lots of fun! The pool is placed in the centre of the splash zone leaving plenty of clear space around the pool for parents / guardians to observe their children from a safe distance, either by poolside or a dry area behind a viewing barrier. The layout is great with good access to the family and baby changing facilities, lockers and pushchair park.

The splash pool is kidney shaped with a beach entry at the shallow end. A sloping floor leads to a maximum depth of 450mm at the opposite end. The floor is a slip resistant, impact absorbing surface. At the shallow end of the pool children are greeted by a welcoming Fish No 1, a Bubbler and a Cascade No 1, all products that provide soft water effects for young children to interact with. The Fish No 1 is a low level product with TurnTec™ technology, providing children with the ability to turn their aquatic friend 360 degrees, and change the direction of the arched stream of water that sprays from Fish No 1’s mouth. The Bubbler creates a frothy outburst of water from the ground up which never fails to amuse and intrigue our youngest of water players, and our Casade No 1 is a water table concept that enables children to discover the cause and effects of their actions by providing them with the ability to stop and start the flow of water. It is a product that develops motor skills and cooperative learning in the process. The Cascade No 1 provides play opportunities via colourful rills and smiley adjustable weirs, positioned at varying levels. There are interactive play panels at the poolside providing more playability, along with four Directional Jets, each spraying a single arched steam of water into the pool for little ones to run their feet and hands through. The aquatic play provision at the deeper end of the pool is tailored for children that have already developed confidence in water, with a design that engages children in aquatic play between two levels. There is a custom Elevations™ with a continued focus on the exploration of water, with cascade features that enable children to move water from one level to another, this time from a greater height. In total there are nine play items on board the Elevations™, each providing either a new interactive play experience or sensory experience in terms of its water effect. High above the platform, there are four tall water features consisting of a water hose, water curtain, an Aqualien No 3 that gently rains water down on those below; and a tipping bucket that takes on the disguise of a bell shaped tulip called Bamboo Flower No 1. Climbing and sliding is included in this wet environment with a staircase and two waterslides for those that wish to make a quick escape or simply enjoy a good ride. Collaborative play is great fun and the best at every age, and with the addition of three cannons and a rotating, spraying Seaweed No 2 surrounding the pool, children enjoy playing together as a group. This aquatic play product mix will be entertaining generations of 0 – 7 year olds at the Ards Blair Mayne Wellbeing and Leisure Complex for many years to come.

The Ards Blair Mayne Wellbeing and Leisure Complex is impressive inside and out! This beautifully designed building is home to some of the most modern and advanced sports and leisure facilities in Northern Ireland. As well as the splash pool; facilities include a luxury spa, two swimming pools, spectator seating, a 110 station gym, court sports, an indoor soft play area, an outdoor adventure zone, a café, dance studio, party rooms, skate park, a mountain bike course and an outdoor multi-sport pitch encased within a dome, making the Ards Blair Mayne Wellbeing and Leisure Complex an ideal location to play games all year round!

The Ards Blair Mayne Wellbeing and Leisure Complex is a project to be proud of, named after a sporting legend that was born and raised locally at Mount Pleasant in Newtownards. Blair Mayne took up boxing whilst studying law at Queen’s University in Belfast and won the Irish Universities heavyweight title in August 1936. He later went on to play rugby against Wales at Ravenhill in 1937 and after clearly demonstrating he had a talent for it, Blair Mayne was selected to join the British Lions on a three month tour to Africa in 1938. Blair Mayne’s blossoming career in sport was unfortunately cut short due to the outbreak of the Second World War but he played for his team and country long enough for his performances to make a big impression, with one match report describing how he played with “ruthless efficiency, covering the ground at an extraordinary speed for a man of his build, as many a three-quarter and full-back have discovered.”

Heron Bros is an award winning construction and property development company with over sixty years of experience and it was a joy to work with them to bring our part within the Ards Blair Mayne Wellbeing and Leisure Complex to fruition.

Heron Bros:

With so many different aspects, the unique design became a veritable jigsaw for the team at Heron Bros but, as explained by Theresa McErlean, Contracts Manager, an immense sense of teamwork made this an enjoyable project: “This was a unique and complex project with a wide range of challenges throughout but it also had a great team of individuals all pulling in the same direction,” she said. “We’re proud of how smoothly the construction process went and at the high standards we achieved. The positive feedback and reaction to the new centre has also made it all worthwhile.”

Building and facility photographs courtesy of McAdam Design